You spent years of your life rushing to class, taking notes, studying and acing your exams. But now what? Everything you have done in life has prepared you for this moment but suddenly nothing makes sense. It can be intimidating venturing out into the world with just your hopes, dreams and a degree to keep you going. Well, we are here to help ease your worries! With the job market better than it has been in years, we have put together three tips to help you get your life started after graduation.

1.       Your resume and cover letter are more important than you think.

The leading statistic is that recruiters will look at, and judge, your resume in 6 seconds. That’s it. You have just a few measly seconds to make an impression on your potential future employer. Our biggest tip when writing your resume is read, and re-read, the job post. Are you qualified? Great! Now tailor your resume to show why you are the best candidate for the job. The job description is your best resource when editing your resume and cover letter.

2.       When in doubt, professionalism never fails.

Nowadays casual workplaces seem to be the trend. Jeans, t-shirts and crazy colored hair are the norm. However, when applying and interviewing for jobs, leave the jeans at home. First impressions are important and despite what you learned growing up, people tend to judge books by their cover. You don’t need to wear a three-piece suit, but always lean towards being overdressed if you aren’t sure of a company’s dress code policy.

3.        Clean up your online presence.

In today’s day and age, LinkedIn has become synonymous with recruitment. Your profile is a reflection of not only you as a person but you as a potential employee. Think of your profile as a way to position yourself as an expert in your field. Make sure your work information and skills are updated to appeal to the job you are applying for. While you are updating things, take time to update your other social profiles like Facebook, Twitter and even Instagram. Believe it or not, some recruiters will use these social platforms to immediately judge whether or not you will be a good fit for the company. What you post online reflects on you and on the company you work for, so it might be time to delete those spring break pictures from last year and add a few from graduation.

Congrats, grad, you did it! Take some time to revel in the moment and enjoy your accomplishments. Once you get done celebrating, it’s time to get back to work and start the rest of your life. These three easy steps can help you get the job you have worked so hard to get. If you need more assistance, Skywalk Group can help. We have interview, resume and job seeking tools to help you land the career you want.